You can read at 500 words per minutes. Don't believe me? Here, see for yourself. This amazing technology comes from the startup Spritz, and they're ready to unleash it onto the smart device world, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Gear line of smartwatches.
Spritz takes Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), which is common speed reading technique, and alters it so that words are aligned in such a way as to keep your eyes centered.
When we're not moving our gaze to match words, we can process information instantaneously rather than focus on decoding each word. Simply put, rather than your eyes following each line of text, Spritz positions words around their central letters, aligning them in a way that shifts the focus to instant comprehension rather than word tracking.
The company is licensing their tech to OEMs, and Samsung will be the first to integrate it, specifically within their proprietary email application on the Galaxy S5, as well as with their new Gear and Gear Fit smartwatches. Imagine being able to read lengthy text on your watch, one word at time, faster than you could on your computer screen.
While we can't get an exact replica of this technology just yet, we can attempt to mimic it by using a couple of similar apps from Google Play that are already available for our Galaxy S3s.
#1. Rapid Reader
Rapid Reader by LightWaveDev employs RSVP, not Spritz's technology.
While it may not be as efficient, I did notice that I was reading and comprehending at a much higher clip than I normally do.
A great aspect of this app is the ability to import webpages simply by copying the URL to your clipboard. Not all pages load up, but most do. Once you see your text in the preview, tap "Read" to begin speed reading.
From the main screen, you can also import any text that's in your clipboard—just hit the "Clipboard" button and the app will insert that text. There is also the ability to import files, although that feature was buggy for me, as I couldn't get Rapid Reader to browse through my file system.
#2. Speed Reader
Speed Reader by P Garrison also utilizes RSVP. In addition, you can import various file formats, including .txt, .pdf, and .epub, as well as save HTML webpages to import into the app.
You also have the ability to change the background, which can be especially helpful for reading .pdf files, as well as alter the speed and number of words shown at one time. I found that my sweet spot was right around 400wpm with a two word minimum.
Tapping on the screen allows you to add a bookmark and navigate through your text using the slider.
It's not the most efficient way to scroll through a document, especially long books, but it's certainly usable.
#3. Light Speed Reader Free
Light Speed Reader Free by Juan Rozon is very similar to Speed Reader above, but with fewer options.
The app does have its additional drawbacks—you can't bookmark or import texts, having to rely on copy/pasting.
There is a paid version of the app for a buck, which adds support for vertical scrolling, but I'm good with the free version.
Now you've got a few options to increase your reading skills, both speed and comprehension. When the inevitable Spritz app begins to leak, check back with us for all the ways to get it on your device.
High Speed image via Shutterstock
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